16 week 5 day appointment and Gender Ultrasound news

Today's appointment with my doctor went great! I got in and literally had not a moment to sit down before I was taken back. They did their normal weighing, urine and blood pressure tests. When the doc came in I talked with her and she said everything looks great! My weight seems to be on track even though I gained 3lbs. Urine levels were good and blood pressure was "perfect".

She measured my womb and it seems to be growing right on track too. She took out the Doppler device to listen to the baby and he/she seemed to be moving around a lot and kicking A LOT! :) She managed to track the baby down to measure the heart beat and it was at 150bpm. She said everything seems to be going great and she gives me an A+ for the appointment and had the nurse send out a request for an ultrasound at 20 weeks.

When I got home I got a call from Salem Radiology and we set the appointment to find out the gender....and....it....will....be....on..................... April 16th at 3:30pm! Yay! We'll keep you posted as we find out more information. We are VERY excited.

Changing Table!!!!

This is as close to a 16 week photo as you will get for now. :)


So Eric and I were out looking for a dryer because our electric one broke, and we checked out Habitat for Humanity ReStores. All the proceeds go towards Habitat for Humanity, so we thought this would be great. We checked out the one in Salem without much luck so we went to the one in Forest Grove. I'd heard they had a few for $75, but when we got there it seems that most were gone.

While looking around this immediately caught my eye. It's a changing table in pretty perfect condition. It's already sanded down pretty much, so all it needs is a little stain to match the crib and we'll be set. The price for this amazing find.... $20. $20!!!!!! You can't even buy the materials to make one for that price! Below you can see that it also has a drawer and a strap! :)

The Lord has continued to lead us and bring to us everything we need thus far at pretty remarkable prices. We feel so blessed! I am not a person who needs brand new things, just things that work well and look alright. Which the crib and this definitely do! Mind you...we are getting a new crib mattress and a new changing pad, as well as new car seats and strollers. While I don't need brand new things most times, safety is definitely my first priority with this little one.

16 weeks pregnant today!

How your baby's growing:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.

Listen up: Tiny bones in your fetus's ears are in place this week, making it likely that the baby can hear your voice when you're speaking (or singing in the shower)at 16 weeks pregnant. In fact, studies have found that babies who are sung to while they're in the womb recognize the same tune when it's sung to them after they are born (so choose your baby Muzak with that in mind…).

And baby's busily adding bone in other ways. For one, the backbone (along with the back muscles) is stronger now — strong enough, in fact, to enable your baby to work on straightening his or her head and neck even more. Baby's crown-to-rump measurement is between four and five inches in length, and weight is hovering around three ounces.

This little one's a looker — with a face that has both eyebrows and eyelashes — but a skinny looker since there's no baby fat yet. And here's the skinny on baby skin: It's practically translucent now, so if you took a peek inside your uterus, you'd be able to see your baby's blood vessels under that thin skin.

We got a crib!

Well that didn't take long, but we have a crib! Here's the story... I've been looking at craigslist for a while now at crib prices because I knew other friends got great deals on them. Plus, I am kinda different than a lot of first time moms and just wanted a used crib instead of a brand new one. I figure in the long run I'd rather have people (and us) invest money in travel type items for the baby (car seat, stroller, baby backpacks, travel crib...etc) than a huge expensive crib.

On Sunday I was looking online in the Tacoma Craigslist postings and saw one for $60. It was pretty much the exact type I'd hoped for and wished for but didn't think I'd ever get. There was one catch though, it had to be picked up THAT DAY. Well...as you may know I live in Oregon, and that means I couldn't really get up there easily. So... I made sure with Eric that this one was one he was comfortable with and that he wanted to and it was and I called my parents.

I called and it turned out that my mom had the day off, something that NEVER happens! Seriously, if you knew how much she worked, you'd know what a rarity this was. I kinda felt bad about asking them knowing this, but also knew it could be the perfect time. I had them look at the picture and posting and they said they'd check it out for me and if it was good that they'd pick it up for me. I thanked them!

They went and I guess came to this guys old house, they told me something about stairs and then having to go down into this guys basement (CREEPY!) and that it was in a corner. They knew right away that we got a deal so they got it! It's at their place right now but I am VERY excited to see it at the end of this month.

The picture above was on the guys craigslist post. I guess it looks really good in person. It doesn't include the mattress which is QUITE alright with me! I want a new mattress for my baby. :) No gross used ones! It wouldn't have the skirt thing either.

I looked online and I guess this crib costs somewhere between $300-400 dollars! So we got a fabulous deal! Praise God!

So far so good for things during this pregnancy. I haven't been sick much and honestly haven't been pregnant much. The latter kinda scares me at time, but I am taking it all in stride. Because there are definitely times that I feel pregnant, like when I have to get up in the middle of the night a million times to go to the bathroom, how I lose my breath sometimes for simple reasons, or how my clothes aren't fitting, how my hair is full and my nails keep growing at a fast rate. I am praising God for this pregnancy!

I am not sure which week we'll find out the gender of the baby. Some say week 18 and some say week 20. It'll depend on what my doc says when I visit her at the end of the month. I am hoping to find out sooner than later, so we can start calling our baby by name while in the womb. :)

Lately I've been on the hunt for a crib. I'd really like to start getting the room more ready, and a crib is a perfect addition. Speaking of getting things ready. I also need to get my garage sale on and get rid of some of this extra stuff we have. I think once we find out if we're accepted as missionaries we'll be selling a lot of items. It's easier when you just have an apartment's worth of stuff to deal with, we have a whole house! I am sure things will sell and we'll figure out how to store things. But that's for the other blog.... I am looking for a used crib I think. No Jenny Lind styles for me! I really kinda hate that style. I am a more contemporary simple but sturdy style person. I've been scouring craigslist looking for a deal, I almost had one for $25, but it was taken before me. I'll find one though!

You may ask, why are YOU buying a crib? Well... I figure there are lots of other expensive things for people to buy, if we can get a crib, that'll be one less thing off our list. I'd rather have people invest in car seats and stollers and travel cribs and a breast pump stuff than a crib. But we'll see. I might cave and let someone buy it. :)

Okay, for now... me and baby sign off. Hope to write again soon. :)

15 weeks pregnant!!!

How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods."

Week 14 of Pregnancy :)

How your baby's growing:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.